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Archive for the ‘Tea’ Category

Iced tea has become one of the most popular drinks in America. Here’s how it all started…

First discovered nearly 5,000 years ago in China, hot tea is drunk and appreciated by people all around the world. But what about iced tea? As it turns out, iced tea is primarily an American phenomenon that began showing up in recipes dating back to the early 1800s.

In the beginning, iced tea was not the same as we know it today. It was a type of punch. While tea was one of the main ingredients, it also called for a variety of other ingredients depending on the recipe. Ingredients might include things like juice, currant jelly, sweet cream, alcohol, and of course, lemons and lots of sugar. At this time, most recipes called for green tea, rather than black.

For a time, it was believed that iced tea as we know it today was first invented and offered at the1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis by a man named Richard Blechynden. Many researchers have found that not to be the case. In fact, there are references to the cold tea beverage in cookbooks that actually label recipes as “iced tea” as far back as 1879. It may be possible that iced tea recipes were floating around by word of mouth even earlier than that.

One of the earliest references to iced tea being served at a large gathering was at the Missouri State Reunion of Ex-Confederate Veterans in Nevada, Missouri in 1890. A newspaper article summarizes the food and drink served at the event which included, “880 gallons of iced tea” being served.

By the early 1900s, black tea began to replace green tea as a staple in iced tea. For a time, a mix of green tea and black tea was used for making iced tea. However, by the end of the 1920s, black tea was the norm.

With the advent of prohibition in the 1920s, iced tea grew in popularity. Along with the rise in iced tea’s popularity in the early part of the 20th century came special glasses and spoons marketed specifically for use with iced tea drinks.

The popularity of iced tea fluctuated throughout the 20th century. It peaked during the first part of the century and through World War I and dipped to its lowest point in the mid-1930s and late 1950s.

With the availability of canned, bottled, and powdered iced tea, iced tea has continued to maintain its popularity into the 21st century. According to one survey by the United States Tea Association, as much as 85 percent of tea consumed in the United States is iced.

leaf ends up in a cup of green, black or oolong tea depends on what happens after it is picked. The differences are in the processing. Black tea gets its name from its dark color and full flavor resulting from a complex fermentation process. Crushed tea leaves are exposed to the air for a specified number of minutes before fermentation. Tea leaves destined to become green tea are not fermented at all. They are withered in hot air then quickly steamed to retain as much of their anti-oxidants as possible, resulting in a mellow tasting cup of tea. Oolong teas fall in the middle with just partial fermentation, giving them a distinct reddish color and a flowery flavor.

So where does white tea fit in to the tea picture? White tea is made from immature tea leaves that are picked just before the buds have fully opened. White tea takes its name from the silver fuzz that still covers the buds, which turn white when the tea is dried. The exact proportion of buds to leaves varies depending on the variety. Tea buds and leaves that are destined to become white tea undergo even less processing than green tea. Instead of air-drying, the unwithered leaves are merely steamed. The result is a pale tea with a sweet, silky flavor lacking the “grassy” aftertaste associated with green tea.

White tea requires great care and effort to produce. Special varieties of the tea bush are selected and tended for several years before yielding their first harvest. Climate, altitude, and soil must be just right. White teas are mostly produced in China and Japan. The Darjeeling region of India also produces some fine white teas. Early spring produces the best white tea. When the time is right, the tea workers carefully hand pick the silver buds and select leaves. There is no picking on rainy days or when frost is on the ground. White tea can only be picked for a short time each year making it rare and precious.

There are four main varieties of white tea: Silver Needle, White Peony, Long Life Eyebrow, and Tribute Eyebrow. Silver Needle is the finest and most famous of the white tea varieties. It is made only of silvery white buds. White peony is the next highest in quality and consists of buds and leaves. The best White Peony has both bud and leaf covered in silvery white hair. Lower in rank is Long Life Eyebrow, which is made from leaves left over after the Silver Needle and White Peony harvest. Tribute Eyebrow is another lesser white tea, which is made from a special tea bush and is processed in a slightly different way from the others. There are a number of other white tea varieties. Some are named after the region of origin and some for the special ingredients added to the leaves and buds. Fruits are a popular addition and add extra sweetness to the flavor.

Tea has been used as medicine for centuries. Today modern science has also recognized the added health benefits of drinking tea. While all teas are good for you, green tea is especially so due to the fact it is not fermented and the health benefits remain more intact. With green tea being healthier than black tea due to less processing, the even more delicate processing of white tea makes it the supreme cup of tea. White tea maintains the largest amount of health benefits from tea bush to teacup.

Tea contains antioxidants that protect the body from damage by free radicals by neutralizing them. Flavonoids, one antioxidant, inhibit the growth of cancer cells and prevent the development of new ones. Tea also lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol with another one of its antioxidants, catechins. Catechins help prevent hardening of the arteries and blockage of blood flow, preventing heart disease. Tea helps thin blood, lowering blood pressure. Tea adds to greater bone density and has beneficial effects for sufferers of arthritis and osteoporosis. Tea also contains small amounts of fluoride and other nutrients, which help keep teeth strong and healthy.  White tea is especially a natural killer of bacteria and viruses with its abundant antioxidants, which are left intact during processing. White tea is the most delicate of teas, yet it is the strongest of tonics.